Love Hina Beginnings
by Bugsy
Summary: The tables are turned and Naru gets to see life from Keitaro's perspective.
1. Return

Love Hina – Beginnings  
  
Fanfic by Steven Biggs  
  
Chapter One - Return  
  
Saturday Morning  
  
Keitaro is pushing a cleaning towel along the hallway. As he passes Naru's room, the door opens and she steps out.  
  
His hands hit her feet, causing her to fall on top of him. Naru rubs her hip and sees a large bump under her skirt.  
  
"What are you doing, you pervert? Get out from under there!"  
  
Jumping up, Naru lands a spinning back kick against his head and sends him tumbling down the hallway. Keitaro crashes into the far wall and slumps to the floor. Glasses hanging from one ear, he falls to his side.  
  
"I'm sorry Narusegawa, really! It was just an accident!"  
  
Naru stands with her arms crossed looking at Keitaro. A man's voice, strong yet ancient, and unheard by either of them, echoes in the hallway.  
  
**It happens again. He is innocent, yet she strikes him without thought.**  
  
A woman's voice, equally old and powerful, responds.  
  
*He is a remarkable person. Never does he respond to her violence with violence of his own. His only reply is kindness and a desire to be forgiven, even as in his heart, he has already forgiven her.*  
  
**His love for her is written in everything he does, why does she not see this?**  
  
*It is there, but she is afraid to let anyone see it. Without intending to, she torments them both.*  
  
**My Beloved, there must be something that can be done for them.**  
  
*My Dearest, I wish that were so. However, we have passed from mortality many years ago.*  
  
**There is a way.**  
  
*We have not done this since before the one they call Granny Hina was a child.*  
  
**Even then, we failed. Does not Moe still wait in her darkened room?"**  
  
*Then what can be done?*  
  
**We will need to draw upon some power other than our own. From whom, I do not know. The girl Motoko guards her power and we cannot touch it.**  
  
*There is another. His power lies deep and untouched except in times of greatest need.*  
  
**Then we must be prepared to act quickly when the opportunity arises.**  
  
*It will be dangerous for him. If we take too much of his power when he needs it the most, it may cost him dearly.*  
  
**Shall we do nothing, then?**  
  
*I see no other hope for them. The risk must be borne.*  
  
**Then the attempt shall be made. What path shall we choose, Beloved?**  
  
*I have an idea . . . . .*  
  
Saturday Noon  
  
After lunch, Keitaro starts to clean the hot spring, hoping to get ahead in his chores. As he is scrubbing the rocks, he hears Naru's stern voice.  
  
"Why are you out here cleaning? People want to use the hot spring!"  
  
He turns and sees Naru and Motoko standing at the door, towels wrapped around their bodies.  
  
"I'm sorry, Narusegawa. I'm just trying to get as much done today as I can."  
  
She smiles at him.  
  
"You've been working too hard this week. Why don't you take a break?"  
  
Motoko, resting her sword on her shoulder, nods her head.  
  
"Yes, Urashima. You have been working long, hardly stopping for a sufficient meal. We can all see that you are near exhaustion. Please, you need to rest."  
  
"I can't. I need to have everything ready for . . . . ."  
  
Naru looks at him.  
  
"Ready for what?"  
  
He collects his tools and heads for the storage shed.  
  
"Nothing! Nothing at all! I just want to be a good manager!"  
  
As he walks by them, Naru touches his arm.  
  
"You are a good manager. And we're really glad that you're here."  
  
Smiling, he turns to them. The handle of his brush catches on Naru's towel, pulling it off.  
  
"KEITARO!"  
  
Quickly covering his eyes, Keitaro blindly reaches to pick up her towel. He spins around, risking a peek to find it. The handle catches Motoko's towel and pulls it loose. As Motoko screams, he drops the tools and backs towards the door.  
  
"I'm sorry! Please forgive me! It was an accident!"  
  
The girls quickly cover themselves and approach him, flames leaping from their eyes. Naru clenches her fist as Motoko raises her sword.  
  
"YOU PERVERT!"  
  
"LECHEROUS MALE! SHINMEI SCHOOL SECRET ARTS! AIR SPLITTING SWORD!"  
  
Naru pulls back her arm as chi swirls around Motoko's blade. Keitaro, crossing both arms in front of his face to prepare for the blows, whispers in a voice that no one else can hear.  
  
"I forgive you both. Please forgive me."  
  
Power which he can neither sense nor control, and which is formed clean and pure by his compassion for them, rises once again from the depths of his being, strengthening his body against the pain that is about to be inflicted upon it.  
  
**Now, Beloved! It is time!**  
  
*Yes Dearest, but I fear for his safety! Let us take care.*  
  
They reach out and touch Keitaro an instant before the girls unleash their strikes. Reforming his stolen power with their will, they release the eldritch energy in a silent and invisible explosion, which gently engulfs Hinata-sou and flows through all the residents.  
  
***It is done!***  
  
Time itself frays and twists, reforming reality to suit the purpose of the ancient spirits of the hot springs of Hinata-sou.  
  
Friday Morning  
  
"(I am so happy. Today is the day I fulfill my promise. I've finally made it into Toudai! Everyone is congratulating me and asking me for a date. I gently turn them down, for the one that I promised is awaiting me. We will live happily at Toudai, playing tennis, eating lunch in the park, and then a student wedding! All my friends are here. I hear my voice being called and I turn around. A small, wrinkled old woman tries to kiss me. Oh no! She has a mustache! Get away from me! Get away from me!)"  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"  
  
A voice calls from the kitchen.  
  
"Oh, are you finally awake?"  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
"Why are you still trying to get into Toudai? Some things are just impossible. Couldn't you try for an easier school?"  
  
"I can make it. I'll try a lot harder!"  
  
In the background, the phone rings.  
  
"We can't afford to keep feeding you forever, you know!"  
  
"I'll get a job and move out, okay?"  
  
"You will really do that for us?"  
  
A man's voice calls out.  
  
"Hey, the phone is for you Naru. It's Hina-san from Hinata-sou."  
  
"Why would she be calling me?"  
  
"Well, ask her yourself!"  
  
Narusegawa Naru gets up to answer the phone.  
  
"Hello, this is Naru."  
  
"Hello child, this is Urashima Hina. It's been a long time."  
  
"What can I do for you, Hina-san?"  
  
"Please, call me Granny Hina. Could you come by Hinata-sou today? I have something that I want to talk to you about."  
  
"Okay Granny Hina, I'll be there after school."  
  
"Fine, see you then."  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
Naru replaces the phone.  
  
"(I wonder what she wants?)"  
  
She remembers her dream.  
  
"YUCK!"  
  
Friday Afternoon  
  
Naru, carrying her Liddo-kun, gets off the train and walks towards the old inn.  
  
"(I really don't have the time for this. I need to find a job. Mom and Dad are really going to hold me to my promise to move out when I graduate high school.)"  
  
She crosses a bridge and looks around. A small girl is sitting on a bench crying. Naru looks at her. Suddenly, someone pulls Liddo-kun from her hands. It is a group of old men in robes.  
  
"Hey, that's mine! Give it back!"  
  
They toss the doll around until it accidentally flies over and lands at the small girl's feet. She picks it up and her tears fall even more quickly as she looks at the smile on the stuffed doll.  
  
"That is so cruel!"  
  
Naru, unsure of what to do, turns and runs up the street and around a corner.  
  
"(She must have thought I was making fun of her! Oh no, my Liddo-kun! Maybe I can go back and get it later!"  
  
She looks around.  
  
"(I remember this place.)"  
  
Running up the steps, Hinata-sou appears before her. She enters the front door and removes her shoes. She looks around at what appears to be a common room of some sort. There are a few couches and chairs around a coffee table. Seeing no one around, Naru walks into another room.  
  
"Hello, is anyone here?"  
  
She looks at the dining table in the middle of the room. There is just a small vase with a few flowers on it. She leaves and looks in other rooms. Eventually, she spots a sign half draped over a door.  
  
"[Hot Springs – Women's Bath.]"  
  
"I haven't been in a hot spring in a long time. Maybe I'll just relax until Granny Hina shows up."  
  
As she goes through the door, the sign drops all the way down, revealing the full message.  
  
"[Hot Springs – Women's Bath only on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Men's Bath only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.]"  
  
She removes her clothes and glasses and places them in a basket. Taking a towel from the shelf, she wraps it around her nude body and heads out the doors. The steam from the water floats gently about the rocks and walls.  
  
"(This is a beautiful hot spring. I wouldn't mind living here!)"  
  
Naru slips into the water, catching her breath as she sinks in past her waist.  
  
"(Mmm, this is wonderful!)"  
  
As she sits next to a large boulder, she closes her eyes and leans her head back, enjoying the feel of the hot water soaking into her body.  
  
Naru hears a light splashing noise moving from behind the boulder. She freezes in shock as a man wades into view, his own towel wrapped around his waist. A pair of glasses dangles from his hand. He squints at her; obviously his vision is as poor as hers.  
  
"Oh, are you new here? Granny Hina didn't mention another guy was moving in."  
  
As he moves closer, his eyes widen as he realizes that this person is not a guy at all, but a rather attractive young women.  
  
"Who are y-y-you and wha-wha-what are you d-d-doing in here!"  
  
Naru gets to her feet, realizing the awkward situation she is in.  
  
"(He must be a resident here! Or maybe he's the custodian! I'd better apologize quickly before I get into trouble!)"  
  
She places her palms together and bows to him.  
  
"I'm very, very sorry!"  
  
As she leans over, she loses her balance and crashes into him. She blushes as her hands rest against his chest.  
  
The man, who is rather shy around females, blushes and turns to run away. His hand accidentally grabs her towel. Naru tries to hold it and follows him helplessly. He starts to scream at her.  
  
"Get away from me!"  
  
"Let go of the towel!"  
  
As she finally pulls away from him, Naru crashes into a large boulder and sinks into the water. She breaks the surface directly under his towel. In a panic, the man spins around and accidentally kicks Naru out of the pool. She tumbles through the door and lands in a large basket, covering herself with assorted female clothes. A woman's voice cries out.  
  
"Hey, what're you doing?"  
  
Naru scrambles out of the room and spots a set of stairs. The woman screams at her.  
  
"Bring back my panties, you thief! Or else pay up!"  
  
Naru dashes up the stairs, chased by the man.  
  
"I won't let you sneak in here and harass my friends!"  
  
Running through the hallways, she temporarily loses her pursuit. She spots another set of stairs and walks down them into the common room. A young, foreign looking girl is sitting on the floor playing with some tanks.  
  
"(I wonder if she will be a little more reasonable.)"  
  
Naru accidentally steps on a tank, crushing it. The girl lifts a remote control and jabs a finger on a button.  
  
"Die, ya giant Hinata-sou attacking monster!"  
  
The rest of the tanks fire pellets at Naru, most of them stinging her breasts through the towel. The girl presses another button and jumps over the couch and dances out the front door. A few moments later, the tanks explode, sending Naru tumbling out the front door  
  
She comes to a rest at the feet of the man and woman. Turning around, she spots the girl preparing another attack.  
  
"What'll we do with her?"  
  
The man crosses his arms and stands over her.  
  
"I won't let anyone barge in here and attack my friends."  
  
The woman, holding onto his arm, looks over his shoulder.  
  
"Maybe we should cut out her tongue and send her straight to hell!"  
  
Naru screams.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"  
  
An older woman walks up the steps and looks at the scene. Recognizing Naru, she speaks.  
  
"Is that you, Naru-san? Where are your clothes?"  
  
Naru rushes to her and wraps her arms around her waist.  
  
"Oh Auntie Haruka! Thank heavens you're here!"  
  
Haruka drives her elbow down on Naru's head.  
  
"I don't like being called that. It's Haruka-san."  
  
The man looks at Haruka.  
  
"What did she mean by Auntie? Is this person related to us?"  
  
"No, Keitaro. She used to play here when she was a child."  
  
Kitsune walks next to Haruka.  
  
"You know this female pervert?"  
  
"Yes, her parents are friends of mine. We keep in touch, though I haven't seen them for about seven years."  
  
Su pokes at Naru with a stick.  
  
"Shucks, I was hoping for some more action!"  
  
Haruka takes Naru in to change and they all meet in the common room.  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
Everyone yells when Haruka explains that Granny Hina had picked Naru to be the new manager. Haruka explains.  
  
"Naru's a student at Toudai and is really reliable. She made it in this year on her first try."  
  
Naru shakes her head.  
  
"But, Haruka-san"  
  
Haruka slaps the back of her head.  
  
"Why don't you let her stay the night and talk it over?"  
  
Later, Naru is sitting alone in the dining room. She stares at the table and thinks to herself.  
  
"(I can't let it go on like this. I'm not a Toudai student. But I really need a job and a place to stay. What am I to do?)"  
  
"(It really seems that Toudai students are popular, though. And that man is really cute!)"  
  
She smiles as she starts to daydream.  
  
[Keitaro massages Naru's shoulders as she reclines on the couch in the common room.]  
  
["Are you comfortable? Is there anything that I can get for you? You every wish is my command!"]  
  
[Kitsune kneels next to her holding a plate of sukiyaki.]  
  
["Please have some! I saved the best pieces just for you!"]  
  
[Su leans over the back of the couch and holds a bunch of grapes above Naru's mouth.]  
  
["I hope these are sweet enough for ya! I grew them myself just for you!"]  
  
[Kitsune begins to wash Naru's feet and Su moves to paint her nails. Keitaro kneels next to the couch and kisses her right hand.]  
  
["My Princess! I am your humble servant! My lips, my heart, and my soul belong only to you!"]  
  
Naru whispers.  
  
"I'm so glad I made it into Toudai!"  
  
Kitsune slides the door open.  
  
"You're glad about what?"  
  
"Oh, nothing, nothing!"  
  
Kitsune sits next to her.  
  
"You know, we kinda got off on the wrong foot. What'ya say we start fresh?"  
  
"That would be nice, thank you."  
  
Kitsune turns and put a hand to her chin.  
  
"I think we might have trouble with Keitaro, though. He is very protective of everyone here."  
  
"Oh, that, uh, cute guy is Haruka-san's nephew, right."  
  
Kitsune blushes.  
  
"You think he's cute too? You must like the quiet and kind sort of men."  
  
Naru blushes again and looks at the ceiling, lost in thought. After a few seconds, she realizes that there is something in her hand. She holds it up and sees a pair of Kitsune's panties.  
  
"Wha-what are these?"  
  
"Their worth one month's rent. What's the matter? Weren't you listening to me? One month's rent for one pair of my underwear!"  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
The door slides open and Keitaro enters the room.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Kitsune is on her knees; her hands are covering her face.  
  
"She told me that she wants one pair of my underwear every week or she'll through me out of Hinata-sou! She said that I should come by her room every Friday and that it would be fun!"  
  
Keitaro puts his arms around her shoulders and guides her out of the room. As she leaves, Kitsune turns her head and smiles wickedly at Naru. Keitaro pauses at the door and glares at Naru.  
  
"You're a work of scum! You're kind makes me sick, you pervert!"  
  
He slams the door closed. Naru can hear him talking to Kitsune.  
  
"I don't like the idea of letting someone like that being our manager."  
  
"Don't worry; if she gets out of hand we'll just boot her out!"  
  
Friday Evening  
  
Naru is wearing her coat and walking quietly around the buildings that make up the inn complex. She sits on a set of steps and rests her elbows on her knees. A sad look in her eyes, she rests her chin on her hands.  
  
"What are you doing down there?"  
  
Naru turn and sees Haruka, cigarette holder in her mouth, taking down the sign in front of her teashop. A few minutes later, she is sitting inside drinking a cup of hot oolong tea. Haruka leans over a rail.  
  
"I'm sorry. I thought that you already made it into Toudai."  
  
Naru sips her tea.  
  
"I can't stay here and be the manager. It would be like I was lying to get in."  
  
Haruka shakes her head.  
  
"Without a manager, everyone will have to leave. And without the rent money, we'll have to close the inn."  
  
Naru silently stares straight ahead.  
  
"Don't be like a stubborn kid. In the real world, there are good lies and bad lies. They don't need to know that you are still in high school and failed the last Toudai entrance exam."  
  
Outside, Keitaro pauses while taking his nightly walk. He overhears the last part of their conversation.  
  
"(So, she isn't a Toudai student. That freak was just lying to us.)"  
  
Keitaro heads back to his room and looks for the last set of testing results from the prep school. Near the bottom of the list, he spots a name.  
  
Narusegawa Naru.  
  
Naru spends the rest of the evening dusting the floors and cleaning the windows. She then goes outside, and finding some tools in the storage shed, she begins to scrub the hot springs. She sighs.  
  
"(It's better if I leave soon. They don't need someone like me to be the manager.)"  
  
Her fantasy kicks in.  
  
["But if you leave, what will happen to us?']  
  
[She turns and faces Keitaro and holds her head high.]  
  
["I can't it wouldn't be right!]  
  
["But what about me? I can't live without you!"]  
  
["I'm sorry!"]  
  
"Sorry about what?"  
  
Her fantasy abruptly interrupted, Naru spins around. Keitaro stands near the door. He holds out the test results, pointing near the bottom of the list.  
  
"Narusegawa Naru. High school student and failed the last Toudai entrance exam. You ranked number twenty-seven from the bottom! You were lying to us!"  
  
Naru, holding the brush, bows her head to him.  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't expect this to happen. I just wanted to stay here a little longer!"  
  
Keitaro crosses his arms.  
  
"And you thought we would accept someone like you if you did some work around here?"  
  
"No, I just thought that I owed everyone something before I left."  
  
Keitaro drops his arms.  
  
"Before you leave? You're not serious, are you?"  
  
"Haruka-san said there are such things as good and bad lies. I wanted to believe her at first, but I can't do something like that!"  
  
He raises a hand.  
  
"But, but without a manager, what are we going to do? What are you going to do?"  
  
"I promised my parents that I would get a job after I leave high school. I'll find something to do. Don't worry about me."  
  
Keitaro walks over and places a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that things were so tough for you. If there is something that I can do to help, please ask."  
  
Naru looks up into his eyes. His smile causes her heart to tighten in her breast. She reaches up and removes her glasses to wipe a small tear from her eye.  
  
"You're too kind. I'm just a stranger. Why should you want to help me?"  
  
"Granny Hina trusts you. That's good enough for me. Even if you are a stupid high school girl. And you are really kind of cute without your glasses."  
  
Naru head snaps up, but she sees him smiling gently at her. Blushing, she takes a step backwards and slips on the brush. Keitaro grabs her hand and is pulled down on top of her. She sees his smiling, blushing face a few inches from hers. Her heart begins to race.  
  
"(This isn't really happening to me! Guys aren't interested in stupid, four-eyed girls like me! But if this really is a fantasy, then I might as well enjoy it.)"  
  
Naru reaches up and places her hand on Keitaro's chest. She instantly realizes that this is not a fantasy and her eyes go wide. Keitaro's eyes match hers and he tries to move away. As his hand moves to the side, it hits the end of the brush, causing the handle to bounce and smack Naru in the forehead. Kitsune and Su walk out the door.  
  
"What's going on here? Keitaro, are you trying to get some special favors from our new manager?"  
  
Su jumps up and down.  
  
"What flavors? What flavors?"  
  
Keitaro stands up and helps Naru to her feet. Naru lowers her head.  
  
"To tell you the truth . . . . ."  
  
Keitaro interrupts her. She tenses as she hears him start to speak.  
  
"The truth is that I was asking her about Toudai! I've been trying for three years and this is a good chance for me to get some help! You can learn a lot from someone on the inside."  
  
Naru nods her head.  
  
"It's true. I'm not . . . . . huh?"  
  
Naru turns her head and looks at Keitaro. She whispers.  
  
"But lying is . . . . ."  
  
He winks at her and whispers back.  
  
"Bad?"  
  
End of Chapter One. 


	2. Rice Cakes and Rampage

Love Hina – Beginnings  
  
Fanfic by Steven Biggs  
  
Chapter Two – Rice Cakes and Rampage  
  
Saturday Morning  
  
Naru opens her eyes as the sunlight brightens her room. She sits up and looks around, temporarily confused at the unfamiliar surroundings. She looks at the kotatsu table with her backpack on it and remembers where she is.  
  
"(I'm at Hinata-sou. I'm the new manager here.)"  
  
Standing, she examines the room. She had little time to look around the night before. Opening the closet reveals a robe and a few towels. She thinks about taking a bath but remembers that she did not bring a change of clothes. She puts her fist against her head.  
  
"Oh great! I look terrible, and I need a fresh change of clothes. I guess that I can use this robe while I put these in the laundry."  
  
Naru removes her clothes and places them in a handy basket. Slipping into the robe, she moves to the mirror at the end of the room and combs her hair.  
  
"(I remember seeing some washing machines downstairs. I wonder who takes care of the laundry around here.)"  
  
She heads downstairs and enters the laundry room. As she places her clothes in one of the machines, Kitsune enters carrying a basket full of clothes and towels. She pushes the basket into Naru's hands.  
  
"Here ya go! Keitaro and Su will bring theirs down in a few minutes."  
  
She stares at Kitsune.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You're gonna do our laundry. You're the manager, after all."  
  
"Oh, I see."  
  
Kitsune turns and heads for the door.  
  
"You had better hurry up and get breakfast ready! It won't do for you to make your residents starve, now would it?"  
  
"You mean that I have to make breakfast too?"  
  
"Unless you can find someone else to cook, its gonna be your job now. And I like my eggs scrambled."  
  
Naru hangs her head.  
  
A few minutes later, she finds the kitchen and starts to make breakfast. She looks at the carton of eggs.  
  
"(How hard can it be to make scrambled eggs?)"  
  
She picks an egg out of the carton. Holding it firmly in her right hand, she starts to shake it vigorously. After about a minute, she breaks it open into the pan. The yolk is still intact.  
  
"(I guess that I didn't shake it hard enough.)"  
  
She grabs another egg and shakes it even harder. It slips out of her hand and sails across the kitchen. The door slides open and Keitaro enters just in time to meet the flying egg head-on. He stands in the doorway with the yolk splattered on top of his head and the whites dripping down his face. Blinking twice, he turns slowly and heads back out the door. Naru can hear Su speaking to him in the dining room.  
  
"Hey, Keitaro, if ya needed some conditioner for your hair, you could'a borrowed mine!"  
  
Naru looks at the door as it slides closed. She whispers.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
As she grabs another egg, she can hear Keitaro.  
  
"Did someone just come in the front door? Hey, Miss Manager, we have a visitor!"  
  
Naru follows the others towards the foyer. There is a young girl standing there holding Naru's Liddo-kun. Naru runs over to retrieve her precious doll. As she reaches the end of the foyer, she trips and crashes into Keitaro, sending them both to the floor. Keitaro mumbles, his face shoved into the carpet.  
  
"Whill yoo pleeze geth off me?"  
  
Naru jumps up and sees Su's Mecha-Tama floating in front of her. Su presses a button on her remote control.  
  
"Pervert lady! Leave Keitaro alone!"  
  
A fireball rushes out of the mouth of the mechanical turtle. Naru leaps out of the way. As she dives, her hands grasps for something to brake her fall. Tumbling next to the front door, she feels someone fall on top of her.  
  
"Aaauuuuu!"  
  
She looks at her hands. There is a short, blue skirt wrapped in her fingers. Keitaro quickly pulls it from her hands, wraps it around the girl's waist, and then glares at Naru.  
  
"You never stop, do you?"  
  
Naru looks up at him. Before an apology can escape her lips, another fireball crashes into her. Kitsune stands over her smoking body.  
  
"That'll learn ya!"  
  
The young girl looks at Naru and holds the doll out to her.  
  
"Th-this is your doll. Y-you left it d-down the hill yesterday."  
  
Naru reaches up and takes Liddo-kun. She holds it to her breast and sticks her thumb in her mouth as she whispers.  
  
"I want my mommy! Is it going to be like this every day?"  
  
Keitaro points to Naru as he turns to the girl.  
  
"Please forgive us. This is our new manager and, well, she still has a lot to learn."  
  
Kitsune stands next to him and shakes her head.  
  
"You got that right!"  
  
Keitaro welcomes the girl with a smile.  
  
"Please, won't you come in? I'm Urashima Keitaro, one of the residents here at Hinata-sou."  
  
She blushes and smiles back at him.  
  
"Thank you! I'm Maehara Shinobu and I'm pleased to meet you."  
  
"Ah, your family runs the restaurant down the hill, don't they?"  
  
"Yes, we do. My father moved to Tokyo for a new job and we stayed here until he got us a new house. My mother and I will be joining him next month"  
  
They go to the common room and sit around the coffee table, picking Naru up on the way. Keitaro goes to the kitchen to bring some tea. He returns and pours a glass for Shinobu and then the rest of the girls. He pokes his elbow against Naru and whispers.  
  
"You're the manager, talk to her."  
  
Naru sips some tea to wash the smoke from her throat and then addresses Shinobu.  
  
"Thank you for bringing my Liddo-kun back to me. Is there anything that I can do for you?"  
  
Shinobu reaches into her pocket and shows her piece of colored paper. Naru reads it aloud.  
  
"Wanted, person to cook for residents of hot springs dormitory. Room and board provided. Apply at Hinata-sou. Experience and resume required."  
  
Naru looks at Keitaro. He whispers to her.  
  
"Granny Hina had me post that on the notice board by the train station last week."  
  
Naru nods in understanding and looks at Shinobu.  
  
"Do you have a resume?"  
  
"N-no."  
  
"Well, what experience do you have?"  
  
"I help my mother sometimes at the restaurant."  
  
Naru shakes her head.  
  
"I'm really sorry, but that doesn't seem like enough information to go on."  
  
Shinobu grabs Naru's hand.  
  
"Please give me a chance! I promise that I can cook really well! I really want to stay here and finish school. It scares me to think about having to go to a different school where I don't know anyone!"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't just hire someone that doesn't have any references."  
  
Keitaro scowls at her.  
  
"Narusegawa, don't be so strict. Cant you give her a chance?"  
  
"If I'm going to be the manager, I have to use my judgment. In addition, what I decide has to be final. What's that smell?"  
  
Everyone sniffs the air and looks around. Su jumps on the coffee table and points towards the kitchen.  
  
"Smoke! Somebody call that bear with the boy scout hat!"  
  
They rush to the kitchen; Keitaro takes the lead and keeps the girls behind him.  
  
"Stay back, I'll check it out!"  
  
Kitsune grabs his arm.  
  
"Keitaro-san! Be careful!"  
  
"I'll be alright!"  
  
He rushes into the kitchen. After a few seconds, he calls to them.  
  
"It's alright! Just something on the oven was burning, I've put it out!"  
  
They move into the kitchen and see Keitaro opening a window to let the smoke clear.  
  
"Well, it looks like everything is fine now."  
  
Su moves to the stove and tastes some of the food in one of the pans. Her mouth drops open and the crumbs fall out onto the floor.  
  
"Yuck! This stuff is awful!"  
  
Naru bows to them.  
  
"I'm sorry! I forgot to turn the heat down! I'll throw this away and start again!"  
  
Shinobu moves over and looks in the pan.  
  
"Who would put the eggs, shells and all, in a frying pan?"  
  
Keitaro, Kitsune, and Su stare at Naru. Kitsune's stomach growls.  
  
"Oh my god! We're gonna starve!"  
  
Shinobu looks around at the other pots on the stove, and then turns to Naru.  
  
"This can be saved. Do you have anymore vegetables?"  
  
Naru goes to the refrigerator.  
  
"Yes, we do!"  
  
Shinobu sniffs another pot and looks at Keitaro.  
  
"Can you boil some water and get me some seasonings? I need basil and thyme, and rosemary if you have it!"  
  
"Yes, I'll do it."  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the dining room table is full of beautiful looking food. Kitsune stares at it, drool running down her chin.  
  
"This smells great! I can't believe that you made this feast from that mess!"  
  
Shinobu bows to them.  
  
"I'm sorry, but that's the best I could do with what was there. Please, help yourselves."  
  
Su jabs a fork into a pan and stuffs the food into her mouth. Her eyes shine and fairies fly around her head.  
  
"This is delicious! I must've died and gone to heaven!"  
  
Keitaro puts a hand on Shinobu's shoulder.  
  
"Thank you Shinobu-chan! I'm sorry to make to do this for us!"  
  
Shinobu blushes at his touch.  
  
"I w-was happy to help! Aaauuuuu!"  
  
Kitsune fills a plate and attacks her food.  
  
"Ah! We've been saved from food poisoning!"  
  
Naru clutches her chest as an arrow plunges into her.  
  
Su looks at Shinobu.  
  
"It smells better than that toxic waste that was in there before!"  
  
Naru shudders at the impact of another arrow.  
  
Keitaro tastes some of the scrambled eggs that Shinobu made.  
  
"It's so smooth and full of flavor! And there aren't any shells!"  
  
Naru falls to the floor as a third projectile pierces her.  
  
They all sit down and have breakfast, complimenting Shinobu as they try each new dish. They finish and head to the common room again, making sure that Naru cleaned the table first. Keitaro looks at Naru as she joins them.  
  
"I think that we couldn't ask for a better resume that what we just enjoyed. What do you think?"  
  
Naru looks around the room. Everyone smiles at her, but their smiles send chills down her spine. She realizes that she only has one option and turns to Shinobu.  
  
"Shinobu-chan, we would like you to stay here and be the cook for Hinata-sou."  
  
Shinobu claps her hands.  
  
"Do you really mean it? Thank you very much! I promise to do my best!"  
  
Keitaro smiles as Kitsune and Su clasp hands and dance around the room.  
  
Naru breathes a sigh of relief.  
  
"(Maybe things will get better from here on out.)"  
  
Just then, the front door slides open and a girl carrying a sword and a travel bag walks in. Keitaro waves to her.  
  
"Welcome back, Motoko-san! How was your training camp?"  
  
Motoko drops her bag and draws her sword. Raising it above her head, she charges.  
  
"Urashima!"  
  
She sweeps her sword in a flashing arc. Keitaro nimbly flips over the back of the couch. Landing softly he smiles at her.  
  
"Excellent! I barely got out of the way that time! You're getting a lot faster!"  
  
Placing her sword in its sheath, Motoko leaps over the couch and grabs his arms. Blushing lightly, she returns his smile.  
  
"I have you to thank for volunteering to help me train these last few months. You never complain even when I accidentally hurt you. There is strength about you that I have yet to fully understand."  
  
Keitaro gives her a quick hug and then turns back to the couch.  
  
"Come meet our new manager. She's going to Toudai next semester."  
  
Naru smiles as she stands up and looks at Keitaro.  
  
"Who's the kendo-girl?"  
  
Motoko's eyes go wide and she once again draws her sword.  
  
"K-k-kendo? You dare to compare my skills to that of children swinging sticks! I received my training at the Shinmei School of Kyoto! I am Aoyama Motoko, twelfth generation Sword Master!"  
  
Naru raises her hands and steps towards her.  
  
"I didn't mean any offense, I just . . . . ."  
  
Naru trips on the corner of the coffee table, and her face buries itself between Motoko's breasts as she falls.  
  
Keitaro shakes his head.  
  
"Oh no."  
  
Kitsune downs her glass of sake.  
  
"This is gonna be good!"  
  
Su leaps onto the back of the couch.  
  
"Pervert lady strikes again!"  
  
Shinobu looks around and places her hands to her mouth.  
  
"Aaauuuuu!"  
  
Motoko blushes and steps backwards, flames leaping from her eyes.  
  
"You vile, lecherous, deceiving female! SHINMEI SCHOOL SECRET ARTS! AIR SPLITTING SWORD!"  
  
Naru's eyes go wide as she sees the chi forming around Motoko's blade. The sword swings downwards and unleashes a vortex of force, which rips through the common room, scattering glasses and magazines. Naru is thrown backwards, her robe shredding around the edges. She slams into a support beam and tumbles forward. As she falls, Naru grasps Keitaro's shirt and whispers.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
Motoko stares at her.  
  
"Now you dare to attack Keitaro-san! You are indeed full of mischief, you foolish, weakling woman!"  
  
As she raises her sword again, Keitaro reaches out and touches her arm.  
  
"Motoko-san, please. It was an accident. She didn't mean any harm."  
  
"Urashima! How can you protect a woman like, like her?"  
  
Keitaro lifts Naru in his arms.  
  
"Just give her a chance, please Motoko-san!"  
  
She lowers her sword and spins towards the stairs. As she grabs the rails, she turns back and points the sword at Naru.  
  
"I will NEVER accept a woman like her as our manager!"  
  
Naru looks up at him and whispers two words before fainting.  
  
"Help me."  
  
Keitaro lays her on the couch and looks at Shinobu.  
  
"Could you bring a damp towel from the kitchen, please?"  
  
"Yes, right away!"  
  
Su pokes Naru with a stick.  
  
"Totally bar-bee-qued!"  
  
Kitsune leans over the back of the couch and looks at Naru.  
  
"She had that coming, ya know."  
  
"I don't think that Motoko should have been that rough on her. It was just an accident."  
  
Kitsune lifts Keitaro's chin and looks at him.  
  
"Startin' to fall for her, hmm?"  
  
He blushes and takes the damp towel Shinobu hands him."  
  
"N-no, I'm just concerned about her, that's all."  
  
Kitsune smiles at him, and then stands. As she walks away, she places her hands behind her head and whistles.  
  
"Okay, if you say so. But I'd be careful if you-know-who shows up."  
  
Keitaro's head snaps up.  
  
"She's in Okinawa on vacation right now."  
  
Keitaro looks at Su as Kitsune walks towards the dining room.  
  
"I'm going to take her up to her room. Can you see if her clothes are dry and bring them up Su-chan?"  
  
"Okie-dokie!"  
  
Su bounces off to the laundry room as Keitaro lifts Naru. Shinobu touches Naru's hand.  
  
"W-will she be all right?"  
  
"Yes, she just needs to rest. Would you and Su help clean her up and get her changed for me?"  
  
"Yes, Sempai!"  
  
Keitaro looks at her and smiles.  
  
"You know, I like that. It makes me feel special somehow."  
  
Shinobu blushes as she walks next to him.  
  
"Well, you did support me. Without your help, Naru-sempai would not have hired me."  
  
"So, we're both your sempai?  
  
"Well, she is my boss now, so that makes her a sempai. But, you are the one that is helping me so you are my Sempai."  
  
Shinobu slides the door open to Naru's room. Keitaro lays her gently on the futon. He notices that her breathing is slow and steady as he places the cool towel on her forehead.  
  
"Could you bring up some cold tea for her, please Shinobu-chan?"  
  
"Certainly, right away!"  
  
He sits at the desk and looks at Naru.   
  
"I hope that this isn't going to be too hard for you, Narusegawa. I want to help you, because I believe that you'll be a good manager. I just hope that I can convince everyone else to let you stay. Especially Motoko-san."  
  
Tama-chan glides in the window and lands next to Naru. She sniffs her hand and looks at Keitaro.  
  
"Mew?"  
  
"Hello Tama-chan. That's our new manager. She just met Motoko-san."  
  
Tama-chan nods her head.  
  
"Mew!"  
  
In the hallway, Shinobu meets Motoko as she reaches the stairs. They walk to the first floor together.  
  
"Hello, I'm Maehara Shinobu. I will be your new cook, starting today."  
  
Motoko smiles at her.  
  
"Greetings, Shinobu-chan. I am Aoyama Motoko. It is a pleasure to meet you."  
  
Shinobu moves a step farther from her as she notices that she still has her sword at her hip. Motoko sees this and calms her.  
  
"Do not fear. I always carry a sword with me. It is part of my training."  
  
"It's not that. I was just wondering how it did that, before."  
  
Motoko smiles and hands the sword to her.  
  
"The power lies not in the weapon. It comes from years of practice in the focusing of one's chi."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. That is so."  
  
As they enter the common room, Su rushes out of the laundry room and skids to a stop in front of them.  
  
"Look, look at what I found!"  
  
Motoko looks at her and smiles.  
  
"What did you find now? Is it new pet lizard? Or maybe it is the issue of Popular Mechanical Monsters that you lost last month?"  
  
Nope! Guess again, Motoko!"  
  
Motoko's eyes go wide and she takes a step backwards.  
  
"It is n-n-not another, another t-turtle, is it?"  
  
Kitsune pokes her head out of the dining room.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Su holds up a small leather ID wallet. The girls gather around and look at it. Kitsune takes it and reads it aloud.  
  
"Preparatory School Student Identification. Narusegawa Naru. Student Number . . . . ."  
  
All the girls stare at the ID.  
  
"PREPARATORY SCHOOL STUDENT?"  
  
Shivering, Naru rolls to her side and sneezes. Keitaro gets a blanket from the closet.  
  
"(Is she coming down with a cold?)"  
  
End of Chapter Two. 


	3. Let's Make a Deal

Love Hina – Beginnings  
  
Fanfic by Steven Biggs  
  
Chapter Three – Let's Make a Deal  
  
Saturday Noon  
  
After a while, Keitaro stands to leave the room. He pauses briefly to make sure that Naru is comfortable. As he looks at her face, he sighs.  
  
"We need to find a way to tell the others that you really aren't a Toudai student. I think that if you are upfront and honest about it, they may go easy on you. I'll back you up as much as I can."  
  
Naru slowly opens her eyes.  
  
"Y-you would do that for me? What have I done that you'd be so kind to me?"  
  
He smiles at her.  
  
"I don't know, I guess that I'd like to have a friend if I were in your position."  
  
Naru returns his smile.  
  
"Thank you. You're really very sweet."  
  
As Keitaro stands, Naru reaches out and grabs his hand. He slips and falls on top of her, their lips meeting. Without thinking, she wraps her arms around his neck and rolls on top of him. At that moment, the door slides open and the other girls march into the room, freezing as they spot the fake Toudai student passionately kissing their friend. Kitsune, her face a brilliant red, grabs the back of Naru's robe and pulls her off Keitaro, tossing her onto the kotatsu table.  
  
"Get your dirty lips off of Keitaro-san, you, you tramp!"  
  
Keitaro whispers in quiet voice. Motoko is the only one that makes out his words.  
  
"My, f-first kiss!"  
  
Su waves Naru's ID in her face.  
  
"Toudai flunky! Toudai flunky!"  
  
Motoko, also blushing and shaking with barely controlled rage, prepares her strike. Her voice rises in pitch as she screams.  
  
"How dare you attack my Keitaro and steal his first kiss? You vile, lecherous, perverted, disgusting, lying, weakling female! SHINMEI SCHOOL SECRET ARTS! ROCK SPLITTING SWORD!"  
  
Naru looks up from the table and sees the black, swirling power around Motoko's blade building to its climax. Knowing in her heart that she will not survive this attack, she whispers her final words as she closes her eyes.  
  
"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."  
  
The sword swings down and hurls its chi in a massive, concentrated vortex, which sucks the light from the room. An instant before it ravages Naru's body, Keitaro leaps from the floor and places himself in its path. The vortex slams into his outstretched hands and he fights to resist it with his entire being.  
  
Naru and the kotatsu table are pushed against the window by the power that slips past him. The other girls stare in horror as Keitaro valiantly stands against the full force of Motoko's attack, unable to understand why he would want to defend this deceiving girl. Shinobu raises her hands to her mouth.  
  
"Aaauuuuu! Sempai!"  
  
Keitaro, his shirt torn from his body, spends the last of his strength to deflect most of the chi to the side, where it shatters the manager's desk. Unable to resist the power that remains, he hurls backwards through the window and crashes to the ground outside as the darkness fades from the room.  
  
Temporarily forgetting about Naru, the girls rush out the door and head downstairs. Naru crawls to the window and looks over the rail. She spots Keitaro lying on the ground, his right foot twitching and his arms stretched outwards. As he slowly sits up she leans further over the rail and it gives way. She plummets down and lands on top of him, knocking them both unconscious.  
  
Rushing out the door, the girls skid to a halt. Kitsune leaps over, drags Naru off Keitaro, and slams her body up against the wall, pinning her there.  
  
"You're lucky that ya'll are unconscious! If you were awake, I'd rip your throat out with my bare teeth!"  
  
Motoko gently lifts Keitaro and presses his head to her chest.  
  
"Urashima, why? Oh dear, gentle Keitaro-san, wake up. Please speak to me!"  
  
He slowly opens his eyes, looks up at her, and smiles weakly.  
  
"You've gotten a lot stronger. I wasn't ready for that. And what's with this 'dear' stuff?"  
  
Motoko blushes and lowers her eyes. Su kicks the back of her head.  
  
"Well, are we gonna take Keitaro inside, or are ya gonna make eyes at him all day?"  
  
Motoko and Kitsune carry Keitaro inside and gently lay him on the couch in the common room. Su grabs Naru's left foot and drags her in along. Shinobu looks at her.  
  
"Should you be pulling her through the dirt face down like that?"  
  
"What'cha worried about? I'll hose the pervert lady off before we go inside! Gotta keep the floors clean, ya know!"  
  
"Aaauuuuu!"  
  
The girls gather around Keitaro as he sips a glass of water. Kitsune wraps a robe around his shoulders.  
  
"What were you thinking trying to save her? She really isn't gonna be a Toudai student ya know. We found her ID for the prep school in the laundry room."  
  
"I know. I found out yesterday."  
  
They stare at him in shock.  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
Motoko points her sword at Naru, who Su dumped just inside the door.  
  
"It is inconceivable that such a person should ever be allowed to be the manager of Hinata-sou!"  
  
Keitaro looks up at her pleadingly.  
  
"I just wanted to help her. I believe that we at least owe her the chance to try!"  
  
Motoko stomps her foot on the ground as she turns back to him.  
  
"We owe her nothing! I do not care that Granny Hina herself picked her! We have the right to choose whom we will! And I will never allow her to remain here!"  
  
Kitsune stands next to her, adding her support.  
  
"She's right. If she had been truthful with us from the start, maybe I'd feel different. But, how can you ask us to trust her now?"  
  
Su leaps over and crouches by his knee.  
  
"Yah! And she's a real weakling! She can't even take a little hit from Motoko! Where's the fun in that?"  
  
Keitaro sets his glass on the coffee table and nods his head.  
  
"I completely understand all of you. You each have perfectly reasonable concerns and I will not deny them. But I also have concerns of my own."  
  
He looks each of them in the eyes as he speaks.  
  
"Motoko-chan, when I first came here, you were afraid that I'd hurt your ability to train. I'd like to believe that I have been, in some way, a small help to you instead."  
  
"You have been an excellent training partner, Urashima! Never doubt that you have, indeed, been of incalculable assistance to me!"  
  
He looks at Kitsune.  
  
"Kitsune, you and Su complained when I took over the cleaning of the hot springs. You said that we needed a professional to do the job. After a while, you were happy that I did, because it let Granny Hina charge each of you less rent each month. Then the rest of you started helping with the chores too. Now, we take care of Hinata-sou all by ourselves. I don't know about you, but I'm happy to have the extra money for myself, and I feel good about taking care of this place."  
  
Kitsune places her hand on his.  
  
"Of course I feel better about myself! It's satisfying to help out around here."  
  
Su rests her chin on his knee.  
  
"I like helping too! It's fun to wax the floors with you!"  
  
He looks over at Naru, who has revived and is looking at him as tears fall down her cheeks.  
  
"Don't you see? I came here and changed things from the way they were. Even though each of you disagreed at first, you gave me a fair chance to prove myself. I just want to share that chance with Narusegawa. I'd like to think that I can be as kind to her as each of you have been with me."  
  
They reach out and touch him, moved by his words. Naru stands and walks over to them and bows.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lie to all of you. I'll leave now, because I don't want to hurt the friendship between you and Keitaro. He is asking you too much to accept me as your manager. I'm ashamed that I didn't tell each of you the truth. All of you are so happy here. I wanted to be a part of that, so I was afraid to admit that I'm just a prep school student. I am very sorry."  
  
Naru walks to the laundry room and gathers her clothes. She then goes to the manager's room to change and place her few belongings in her backpack. As she slides the door open to leave, she sees the other residents standing in the hallway and lowers her eyes. Keitaro steps into the room.  
  
"Do you really want to get into Toudai?"  
  
"Yes, it's very important to me. It means more to me than anything else. I, I have to keep my promise."  
  
"Promise? What promise is that?"  
  
"It's silly, really. A long time ago when I was a child, a little boy and I promised to make it to Toudai. He was moving away with his family the next day, and we vowed to find each other again by becoming Toudai students. He said that if we do, we would live happily ever after. He probably forgot about that by now, but I can't. He was, and still is, so dear to me. If there is even the smallest chance that we can find each other again, I have to try."  
  
She hugs Liddo-kun.  
  
"I'm really stupid for believing in a childhood promise so much that it has controlled my entire life, aren't I?"  
  
Keitaro looks at the others as they enter the room. They nod their heads at him.  
  
"We have agreed to let you stay her as our manager. However, that is upon one condition. You have to make it into Toudai next year, and at least pass the next practice exam. In addition, you still have to perform your duties as the manager. Do you accept our terms, Narusegawa?"  
  
She kneels on the floor and bows to them.  
  
"I cannot thank you enough! I will do my best to pass the exams and make it into Toudai!"  
  
Motoko points her sword at her.  
  
"And if you do not, my blade will bring justice to you."  
  
Kitsune crosses her arms.  
  
"You can start by finishing cleaning the hot springs. You still have some work left from last night."  
  
Su kicks Naru's head.  
  
"Welcome to Hinata-sou, Pervert Manager Lady!"  
  
Shinobu claps her hands.  
  
"We're all here, and I promise to do my best too!"  
  
Naru stands and looks at Keitaro.  
  
"Thank you. If I ever have the chance, I will repay your kindness and understanding to someone that needs it. I promise!"  
  
He smiles at her.  
  
"I could never ask for a better legacy."  
  
The ancient, male voice speaks again, and is once more answered by his mate.  
  
*My Beloved, I believe that our task is complete.*  
  
**Yes, My Dearest, she now has a greater understand of what drives him. We must return things to their proper place.**  
  
*There is not enough power left to perform that task. We must draw upon a source once more.*  
  
**That is so. However, we have already weakened him in the true world. He may not survive when he returns if we draw upon him again. Nevertheless, I see no other option. I pray for his safety.**  
  
*We must act more directly, this time. It may be his only hope.*  
  
**Then let us be prepared and await the moment to act.**  
  
*In this changed reality, will it come?*  
  
**Be assured, My Dearest, it is inevitable. They are who they are. Even we cannot change that.**  
  
He chuckles in his powerful voice.  
  
*That is so.*  
  
Motoko wrinkles her brow and looks around.  
  
"Did anyone else just hear someone whispering the words 'that is so'?"  
  
Saturday Evening  
  
Naru is resting on her futon, exhausted from the work that Kitsune and Motoko made her do. Keitaro and Shinobu were kind enough to pick up her things after calling her parents. She now has her belongings stacked in boxes, waiting for her to place them on her shelves.  
  
"Oh, my aching back! Kitsune sure is a hard taskmaster."  
  
She looks up at the ceiling and sees a poster advertising an older beer. It is partially hanging down, exposing a hole. Naru places a chair on the kotatsu table so she can reach it to investigate.  
  
"I wonder what's up here. Maybe Granny Hina uses it for storing stuff. This would be a great place to keep my most valuable things."  
  
She tears the poster off and pulls herself up, sliding aside a panel on top of the hole. She looks in the new area.  
  
"This looks like a normal room. I wonder where I am."  
  
As she looks to the left, she spots Keitaro. He is sitting on the floor holding a glass of tea. His eyes go wide as he stares at Naru.  
  
"Na-na-na-na . . . . ."  
  
Instinctively knowing who she will see, Naru looks to the right. Motoko, holding her own glass, stares back at her. Tossing the tea aside, Motoko stands and draws her sword.  
  
"How dare you make a hole in the floor to spy on Keitaro? You are indeed a perverted, lecherous, deceiving female! SHINMEI SCHOOL SECRET ARTS! AIR SPLITTING SWORD!"  
  
The blast pulls Naru the rest of the way through the hole and sends her sliding across the floor. She crashes into the far wall, tendrils of smoke rising from her clothes. Keitaro holds his hand out to Motoko.  
  
"Wait, Motoko-san! That hole has always been there! Granny Hina used it to pass messages to me when she wanted me to help fix things!"  
  
"I care not! I cannot allow this, this perverted woman to continue taking advantage of you! I will see her gone from this place if it is the last thing I do!"  
  
As they speak, Naru quietly crawls back towards the hole to escape. Motoko notices her and prepares another strike.  
  
"Weakling female! Face me and prepare to meet the spirits!"  
  
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"  
  
Naru scrambles up and leaps for the door, narrowly avoiding another blast from Motoko's sword. As she runs downstairs and through the common room looking for a way to escape, she passes a confused looking Shinobu walking next to Kitsune.   
  
"Naru, what's going on?"  
  
Ignoring them, she throws open a door and heads up a set of steps. Su stands on the second landing and watches her run past.  
  
"Hey, it's the pervert lady!"  
  
Motoko follows a few seconds later, her speed sending Su spinning in circles. Naru reaches the terrace where the laundry is hung out to dry. Looking around and spotting no other stairs, she leaps the rail and climbs onto the roof. When she reaches the top, she turns right, watching over her shoulder as Motoko closes in on her. An impact causes her to slam to a stop. Hands grab her arms as she starts to lose balance, holding her upright. She looks up and sees Keitaro, the moonlight glinting off his glasses.  
  
"How, how did you know I was heading this way? I didn't even know it myself!"  
  
"Motoko's chases always end up here."  
  
"Narusegawa Naru! Face me!"  
  
Naru turns to look at Motoko. As she does, a second sword sails towards her. It lands at her feet, balancing on the peak of the rooftop. Motoko charges towards her, sword raised to strike. Kneeling, she grabs the sword at her feet. Motoko rushes towards her and leaps, her sword arcing downwards. Naru draws the sword and stares in horror at the warrior descending upon her.  
  
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"  
  
"Narusegawa!"  
  
Keitaro grabs her arm and pushes Naru to the side as the sword strikes. Kitsune, Shinobu, and Su, standing on the terrace, scream as the sword flashes. Motoko does a forward tumble and springs lightly to her feet. Before she can turn to strike again, she looks at her sword, the tip is soaked with blood. Naru and Keitaro fall and tumble down the far side of the roof. Arms wrapped around each other, they bounce off the edge and fall to the ground. A scream of agony rips through the air.  
  
Saturday Night  
  
Naru slowly opens her eyes. She raises a hand to block the bright light above her, but the pain in her shoulder stops her.  
  
"Wh-what happened? Where am I?"  
  
She looks around and sees the inside of the inn. She is lying on the couch in the common room. Su is sitting on the floor, her empty gaze looking right through her. Kitsune stands nearby holding a crying Shinobu. Motoko kneels in the corner, her eyes red as tears fall down her cheeks. Haruka stands next to the couch and stares down at her, fury in her eyes.  
  
"How could you do this? Granny Hina was counting on you to take care of Hinata-sou's residents!"  
  
Naru sits up and grabs her right shoulder as pain once again lances though it. She spots a bandage there, a small spot of blood seeping through.  
  
"What, what happened? Where is Keitaro?"  
  
A sound at the stairs draws her attention. A woman wearing a white lab coat walks down and stands in front of Haruka, tears welling in her eyes. Haruka touches her arm.  
  
"Hikari-san, is he . . . . ."  
  
"The wound was grave. The sword sliced the muscle and pierced through the bone before exiting."  
  
Naru places her left hand to her lips.  
  
"Oh my god! Keitaro is, is . . . . ."  
  
Hikari turns to look at her.  
  
"You are the new manager. You should not have allowed this to happen."  
  
Motoko leaps up and runs to the stairs.  
  
"I must see him! Urashima!"  
  
Kitsune runs over and slaps Naru's face before Haruka or Hikari can stop her.  
  
"You're a real piece of work! He stood up for ya and this is how ya'll repaid him!"  
  
Su pulls a remote control out and stares at the buttons and levers.  
  
"Keitaro wouldn't blame me now if, if I let Mecha-Tama Mark III loose one you, pervert lady."  
  
Shinobu looks at her.  
  
"Aaauuuuu!"  
  
Tama-chan hovers in front of Naru's face and hisses at her.  
  
Naru, holding a hand to her burning cheek, falls to her knees and whispers.  
  
"What have I done?"  
  
Motoko stands outside Keitaro's room and places her hand upon the wall. She slowly slides open the door and enters. Keitaro lies on the futon, a white sheet drawn up to his neck. Motoko kneels down and reaches out to touch the sheet. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she whispers.  
  
"Keitaro-san, why did it have to be this way? I will never be able to forgive myself. I should have listened to you and given Narusegawa a fair chance. But, my heart was afraid that she would be more of a woman to you than I had the strength to become. I am so sorry."  
  
Keitaro, face down on the futon, turns his head and looks at her, smiling weakly.  
  
"It's not your fault that when we fell I landed on that sword. I'll recover, but it'll be a few days before I can sit down again. Hikari-san said that it was a clean cut and should heal without leaving a scar."  
  
Motoko looks into his eyes.  
  
"Praise the spirits for that small blessing. I could not bear that your cute behind would be blemished."  
  
Keitaro stares at her.  
  
"Y-you've been p-p-peeking at me before?"  
  
She blushes and raises her hand to her cheek.  
  
"I, I d-d-did not mean to! It was an accident!"  
  
He smiles at her.  
  
"How many 'accidents' was it? Just once or twice?"  
  
Motoko looks at the ceiling.  
  
"Actually, it is m-more like twenty-five or thirty t-times."  
  
"Motoko-san, I'm shocked! And here I was thinking that you were always so prim and proper!"  
  
She put her palms on the floor and places her forehead on them.  
  
"Forgive me! I am weak! I will do whatever you request to atone for my hidden acts of lust!"  
  
Keitaro rolls onto his side and props his head up with his arm, still smiling at her.  
  
"I never realized. I thought that you only liked me because I help you train."  
  
Still bowing, she pleads for his mercy.  
  
"I must receive you judgment. What Naru-sempai has done is nothing compared to my sins."  
  
"Sit up and look at me, please Motoko-san."  
  
Motoko rises, avoiding his gaze for a few seconds before finally lifting her head.  
  
"I am ready for you wrath, Keitaro-san."  
  
"Your punishment will be to, to grant me one kiss."  
  
"But, but I saw you and Naru-sempai . . . . ."  
  
Keitaro blushes.  
  
"That was an innocent accident. I just want to be her friend and protect her, just like I want to protect everyone here. It is you that I love, Motoko-san."  
  
She tilts her head and smiles at him, fresh tears falling from her eyes.  
  
"Oh Urashima, I love you also!"  
  
Motoko closes her eyes as Keitaro sits up and moves towards her, her body shudders in anticipation of the touch of his lips.  
  
In the common room, Kitsune raises her hand to slap again. Haruka and Hikari grab her arms to restrain her and she kicks her feet out uselessly at Naru.  
  
"Poor Keitaro-san! Because of ya'll he's gotta eat standing up now!"  
  
Su presses a button on the remote control that sends the Mecha-Tama swooping in for its attack.  
  
"I'm gonna burn your butt. Then you'll know what Keitaro feels like!"  
  
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"  
  
Everyone rushes towards her. Naru leaps up and runs for the stairs. She rushes into her room and throws the door closed. After a few seconds, she realizes that it would never keep out that mechanical turtle. As the door begins to crack, she heads for her only other avenue of escape. Pushing the board aside, she scrambles up and through the hole. As she pops up to flee, her lips meet Motoko's.  
  
Everything seems to come to a halt.  
  
Keitaro stares at the two girls. Motoko, not realizing whom she is kissing, wraps her arms around Naru.  
  
The other girls, guessing where Naru would try to escape to, slide open Keitaro's door. They rush in and freeze at the sight. Shinobu cries out and faints.  
  
"The lilacs are blooming. Aaauuuuu!"  
  
Motoko sighs as their lips part. She slowly opens her eyes.  
  
"Oh Keita . . . . ."  
  
Her eyes widen in shock as her entire face turns a deep shade of red. Her hand touches her lips.  
  
"My f-first kiss!"  
  
Outside, a dog barks.  
  
End of Chapter Three. 


	4. Manager au Trois

Love Hina – Beginnings  
  
Fanfic by Steven Biggs  
  
Chapter Four – Manager au Trois  
  
Monday Morning  
  
Keitaro walks down the stairs, supporting himself with the cane that Hikari left for him, and makes his way to the dining room. He is amazed that he is able to be out of bed this quickly.  
  
Nothing much happened yesterday. They took Naru around and showed here what her duties were. Kitsune and Shinobu later went shopping for the week's groceries and Su secluded herself in her room, saying that she was working on a device that would help him get around. Motoko was the only dark spot.  
  
After fleeing from Keitaro's room Saturday night Motoko locked herself in her room and has not allowed anyone inside. The food left by her door remained untouched. Keitaro spent hours at her door pleading with her, but to no avail. She insisted that she would be fine and that she just needed to be alone, to compose herself.  
  
This morning, he was able to convince Motoko to join everyone at breakfast. He thinks back to Saturday night, after Motoko ran from his room, and the arguments he had with the others to prevent them from ripping Naru to shreds. It was touch and go for a while, but he finally persuaded them not to harm her. Naru sat next to the hole the entire time, completely oblivious to the heated discussions around her. Su finally used her Mecha-Tama to dowse her with cold water, snapping her out of shock.  
  
Shinobu is preparing breakfast while Naru reads the inn diary in the dining room. Kitsune notice Keitaro as he walks through the common room. She places a magazine on the table and moves next to him, lifting his arm over her shoulder to help support his weight.  
  
"Ya'll shouldn't be walking around yet, Keitaro-san. Your bum must be killin' ya."  
  
Keitaro smiles at her, pleased by her compassion.  
  
"It's okay, the cream that Hikari-san left for me to use makes it numb. I can't feel a thing down there right now."  
  
Kitsune, in spite of worrying about his injury, laughs at the merry sound of his voice.  
  
"So, instead of just being a dumb-ass, you're now our resident numb-ass!"  
  
He groans at her poor joke.  
  
"Ouch, that hurts worse that when I fell on that sword!"  
  
They enter the dining room together and spot Su, with Tama-chan resting on her head, tinkering with Keitaro's chair. She looks up as they enter.  
  
"Hi'ya Keitaro! It's great to see you moving around. If ya wait a minute, I'll have your chair ready for you to use!"  
  
She continues her work as they talk to her. Kitsune kneels next to her and looks at the box that she is screwing onto the seat.  
  
"What's that thing supposed to be, Su? Keitaro-san doesn't need to be able to sit any higher; he's a big boy now."  
  
"I'll show ya in a sec! Just let me attach the control button."  
  
Keitaro looks at the device.  
  
"Su-chan, you're not trying to install that ejection seat again, are you? The last time, it just kept smacking me up against the ceiling."  
  
He looks up at the dents above the table.  
  
"That reminds me, I should get the ceiling fixed sometime."  
  
"Nah, I've got other plans in the works for our Emergency Fire Evacuation Plan. This baby will solve any problem you have if your butt starts to hurt while ya are sittin' down. There, it's all set and ready to go! Wanna give it a test run, Keitaro?"  
  
He tilts his head as he stares at the modified chair.  
  
"Why don't you give us a demonstration first?"  
  
"What's the matter? Don't ya trust my inventions?"  
  
"Yes, I think you're a genius. But I would like to see it in action before I, ah, so that I know what to expect."  
  
Su jumps up and holds a handle with a small red button on the tip. The cord connects it to the device on the seat.  
  
"If ya feels any discomfiture while sitting down, press this switch and relief is just a second away!"  
  
Su flourishes her hand and presses the button. An airbag instantly springs out of the device, expanding about one meter before slowly deflating. Naru stares at the chair, her mouth falling open. Keitaro's left eye twitches as he watches the demonstration. Kitsune slaps Su on the back of the head.  
  
"Are ya crazy? We're supposed to be helping Keitaro-san, not launching him into orbit!"  
  
Su kneels and looks at the box.  
  
"Oops, my bad! I hooked up my prototype Earthquake Suppression system by mistake! Sorry Keitaro, I guess you'll hafta stand while eating, at least till lunchtime."  
  
Naru enters the kitchen to help Shinobu carry the trays in and set them on the table. Everyone, except Keitaro, sits and waits for Motoko to arrive. The room is silent, no one knowing what will happen when Naru and Motoko are once again near each other.  
  
Shinobu wrings her hands, still not convinced that there is not something strange between Motoko and Naru. Visions of lilacs in bloom crowd her mind and she shakes her head to try to settle her thoughts. She whispers, not realizing that she is speaking aloud.  
  
"Can two women really feel that way about each other? What would I do if one of them came for me? What if I'm left alone here with one of them? Aaauuuuu!"  
  
Kitsune cranes her head to the right and looks sideways at Naru. Naru notices this and turns to her.  
  
"I'm not that kind of girl!"  
  
Kitsune raises her eyebrows.  
  
"Ya could've fooled me."  
  
Su swings her feet under her chair.  
  
"Nah, anyone can tell that Pervert Lady's door swings both ways!"  
  
Naru stares at Su.  
  
"How can you say something like that?"  
  
Keitaro coughs as he sips a glass of tea.  
  
"Su, where did you learn that kind of stuff?"  
  
She hops over to him and pokes his cheek.  
  
"From your secret stash of girly books! Don't hide stuff under your shirts, that's the first place anyone would look!"  
  
Keitaro blushes as the girls grin at him.  
  
"I j-j-just like to r-r-read the articles and interviews, th-that's all! Su, you sh-shouldn't go through other p-people's things!"  
  
Kitsune smiles at him.  
  
"That's okay, Keitaro-san. Ya still are a growing boy, after all."  
  
Su balances a glass on her nose.  
  
"Some of the monthly centerfold girls have other heads taped on them. Kitsune's head is taped on Miss June's picture! Man, talk about major melons!"  
  
Kitsune blushes.  
  
"K-keitaro-san!"  
  
He backs up against the wall and holds his left hand out.  
  
"I, I, I, I, I, I . . . . ."  
  
The door slides open and Motoko enters. Keitaro's head drops forward in relief. That lasts only for a few seconds as Su speaks again.  
  
"And here comes Miss April!"  
  
Motoko stares at her.  
  
"Su-chan, are you not well? I am Motoko, remember?"  
  
"Climb on the table and make a pose like you're a cat, and then I'll know for sure!"  
  
Keitaro pinches his nose as he searches his pockets for a handkerchief. Motoko nods her head.  
  
"Ah, that Miss April. I see that you also have discovered Keitaro-san's collection."  
  
Motoko turns her head to the right and looks at Keitaro as he presses against the wall. She raises her left hand like a paw and lifts her eyebrows.  
  
"Meow?"  
  
Unable to suppress it any longer, Keitaro falls backwards, blood gushing in an arc from his nose.  
  
"Gack!"  
  
Motoko kneels next to Keitaro and gently lifts his head.  
  
"Keitaro-san, it is all right. I am not displeased with you. Not when you showed such forgiveness for my indiscretions."  
  
"Motoko-chan."  
  
She helps him stand and then she makes her way to her seat, which happens to be next to Naru.  
  
The room goes silent, with only the sound of ice shifting in a glass of tea. Kitsune breaks the silence.  
  
"Let's eat!"  
  
Shinobu slowly sips her soup as she watches Motoko and Naru from across the table. Motoko looks at Keitaro as she reaches for a rice cake, not noticing that Naru is also reaching for the same plate. Their hands come to rest together and Motoko's eyes meet Naru's. They both start to blush.  
  
"Aaauuuuu! Motoko-sempai's really going over to the other side!"  
  
Naru raises her hands.  
  
"No, no, we were just reaching for a rice cake!"  
  
"That is correct. The manager and I just happened to be heading for the same objective."  
  
Su looks up from her plate.  
  
"Ya mean Keitaro?"  
  
Naru looks up at Keitaro. Keitaro looks at Motoko. Motoko stares at Naru. Shinobu looks back and forth at everyone. Su looks at the unguarded plate of pancakes. Tama-chan heads for the window. Kitsune pulls out a bottle of sake.  
  
"Oh boy, this is gonna be good!"  
  
Motoko grips Naru's shoulder and whispers.  
  
"You will stay away from Keitaro-san, if you wish to retain your life."  
  
Naru, finally reaching her limit with the accusations directed at her, spins on Motoko.  
  
"I'm the manager here, and I will do what I think is best! If I want to see Keitaro, that's my own affair!"  
  
Kitsune smile wickedly.  
  
"Nice choice of words, Naru."  
  
Motoko grabs her sword and shoves her chair back.  
  
"Affair? Do you now admit that you planned this all along? Are you trying to steal my Keitaro-san?"  
  
Naru stands and backs away from her.  
  
"That's n-not what I meant!"  
  
As Keitaro moves to stop what is about to happen, he stumbles and falls on top of Naru. Their eyes meet. As he looks into her eyes, a distant memory stirs, faint yet compelling.  
  
"Narusegawa, something's wrong. This doesn't seem right somehow."  
  
Naru, understanding that he isn't talking about the compromising position they're in, looks deep into his eyes.  
  
"No, Keitaro, it's not supposed to be this way. I don't know what's happened to all of us, but we shouldn't be like this."  
  
**They begin to see through the illusion.**  
  
*Yes, we must return them soon. Their minds will not be able to accept both realities.*  
  
**But the truth may be what we require to bring this to an end.**  
  
*That is so. Let us intercede in this instance.*  
  
A gentle pressure pushes Keitaro towards Naru's lips. Naru instinctively responds by closing her eyes. The room falls silent as the girls watch their friend gently kissing the manager. Motoko clenches her sword as her body shakes.  
  
"B-b-betrayer! You foul, deceiving, lecherous male!"  
  
Kitsune stares at her.  
  
"Oh my god! This is getting way out of hand."  
  
Shinobu faints. Again.  
  
"Naru-sempai really is a revolving door! Aaauuuuu!"  
  
Su jumps on the table.  
  
"Play time!"  
  
Keitaro sits up and looks at Motoko.  
  
"Motoko-chan! I, I, I . . . . ."  
  
"URASHIMA!"  
  
As he blindly reaches for his cane, his hand comes to rest on Naru's breast. Her eyes go wide and then start to flame.  
  
"You PERVERT!"  
  
Keitaro scrambles for the door, moving faster than his injured hip should allow.  
  
"I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead!"  
  
He slips as he runs past the hot spring and his cane slides into the water. He continues crawling towards the changing room door. Motoko and Naru quickly catch up to him. Keitaro pulls himself up against the wall.  
  
"I'm sorry! Please forgive me! It was an accident!"  
  
The girls converge on him, flames leaping from their eyes. Naru clenches her fist as Motoko raises her sword.  
  
"YOU PERVERT!"  
  
"LECHEROUS MALE! SHINMEI SCHOOL SECRET ARTS! AIR SPLITTING SWORD!"  
  
Naru pulls back her arm as chi swirls around Motoko's blade. Keitaro, crossing both arms in front of his face to prepare for the blows, whispers in a voice that no one else can hear.  
  
"I forgive you both. Please forgive me."  
  
Power that he can neither sense nor control, and which is formed clean and pure by his compassion for them, rises once more from the depths of his being. However, two entities intervene before the power can strengthen his body from the attack.  
  
**Beloved, the time approaches.**  
  
*I am prepared, but I am terrified that we may fail.*  
  
**We must give the message to one of them, that is his only hope.**  
  
*Yes, My Dearest! Pray that we choose correctly, else he will not survive.*  
  
They reach out and touch Keitaro an instant before the girls unleash their strikes. Once more, they reform his stolen power with their will, returning everything to the way it was. With the last wisp of his power, they touch Naru and send a single message into her mind.  
  
***Look at Keitaro. See him.***  
  
Saturday Noon  
  
Naru blinks her eyes, an instant of calm amidst the storm raging through her. Everything seems to move slowly. She sees Keitaro's eyes roll back as the color drains from his face. His knees buckle as he starts to fall, his arms dropping to his sides. Through the raging maelstrom of Motoko's attack, she hears his last desperate plea.  
  
"I forgive you both. Please forgive me."  
  
"KEITARO!"  
  
Naru's raised fist opens and pushes against Motoko's arm, causing her vortex to crash into the wall next to Keitaro's falling body. The wall explodes outwards, plaster and splinters falling on him as he hits the ground.  
  
"Naru-sempai! Why did you deflect my attack? What would cause . . . . ."  
  
Motoko turns her head to follow Naru's gaze.  
  
"Urashima?"  
  
They quickly kneel at his side. Motoko gently places her fingers against his neck.  
  
"He must have been closer to complete exhaustion than we knew. Praise the spirits that you stopped me in time. Keitaro-san could not have withstood such an attack in this state. Hurry, we must get him inside!"  
  
They gently lift his body and carry him through the door. As they enter the common room, the other girls leap from their seats. Kitsune rushes over and helps support Keitaro.  
  
"Oh my god! What did ya'll do to him? I've never seen Keitaro-san look this bad!"  
  
Naru sniffs back her tears.  
  
"He was exhausted from working too hard and collapsed when we were about to hit him! Shinobu, bring some tea and a towel!"  
  
"I'll be back quickly!"  
  
Su walks next to them as they carry him to the couch. She reaches out and touches his arm.  
  
"Keitaro, snap outta it. Please, Keitaro!"  
  
As the lay him on the couch, Keitaro slowly opens his eyes.  
  
"F-forgive me, p-please."  
  
Shinobu places the damp towel on his forehead.  
  
"Sempai, are you okay?"  
  
"Yes, I'm just a little light-headed."  
  
Naru kneels next to the couch and touches his hand.  
  
"Thank goodness you're all right."  
  
Motoko kneels next to her.  
  
"Forgive us Keitaro-san. We did not realize you were so weak from overwork."  
  
Keitaro sits up as Shinobu hands him a glass.  
  
"That's okay, no harm done. I'm sorry about the, uh, towel thing."  
  
Naru and Motoko look at each, lower their eyes to their towels, and begin to blush.  
  
Shinobu stares at them. Backing up a few steps, she falls to the floor.  
  
"I knew it! The lilacs are blooming! Aaauuuuu!"  
  
Naru clasps her hands together and looks at Shinobu.  
  
"I never really noticed how cute you are. You are such a little darling!"  
  
"Wh-wh-wh-what?"  
  
Motoko starts to crawl towards Shinobu.  
  
"Meow?"  
  
"Aaauuuuu!"  
  
Shinobu jumps up and turns to run for the stairs. After two steps, she plows into one of the support beams. She falls to the floor, her eyes spinning.  
  
"Aaauu . . . . ."  
  
Su leaps over and stands above Shinobu.  
  
"Aint no door swinging this way today!"  
  
Motoko and Naru sit back and laugh. Kitsune rubs her cheek.  
  
"Ya'll sure are starting to act strange lately."  
  
Keitaro stands and moves to help Shinobu. As he reaches her, he trips on Su's foot, falling on top of the inn's resident cook. Shinobu blushes and her hands grip his shoulders.  
  
"Sempai!"  
  
Keitaro spins his head around, knowing what he will see. Naru and Motoko loom over him.  
  
"Get off her! She's only a junior high student!"  
  
"Remove your vile hands from that young maiden, you fiend!"  
  
A kick from Naru launches Keitaro into the air. Motoko swings her blade and the vortex hurls him through the door and into the hot spring. Keitaro's head rises above the water and he shakes his head.  
  
"I never get a decent break! I'm so misunderstood!"  
  
Above the hot spring, the two spirits speak once more.  
  
**Beloved, it seems that we failed. Things have not changed.**  
  
*My Dearest, be not so hasty. Observe.*  
  
Naru and Motoko rush out the door and leap into the water. Keitaro raises his hands to ward off their attacks. After a few seconds, he lowers his arms and risks a peek. Naru and Motoko are glaring at each other.  
  
"Stay back! I'm going to rescue Keitaro before he drowns!"  
  
"Preposterous! I shall be the one to aid Urashima!"  
  
Keitaro looks back and forth at them and tilts his head. Naru reaches towards him and Motoko grabs her arm.  
  
"Be gone, Naru-sempai! Keitaro-san is mine!"  
  
Smiling, Naru raises her eyebrows.  
  
"When did you suddenly claim any rights on him?"  
  
Motoko lowers her arm and looks at Keitaro.  
  
"I, ah, I have, ah, why am I doing this?"  
  
"You like him. Admit it!"  
  
"I, I will never, uh, that is, I do not completely dislike Urashima."  
  
Naru grabs her wrists and starts playfully wrestling with Motoko.  
  
"As Su would say, 'made you blush'!"  
  
As much as he would enjoy watching the two girls frolic in the water with only towels on, Keitaro decides to take the opportunity and make his escape before something happens that they will make him regret. He dips low in the water and as he turns, he spots something floating nearby. He reaches out and lifts it up. He turns to ask the girls about what he found.  
  
"Where did this cane come from?"  
  
As he spins around, the handle catches first on Motoko's towel and then Naru's. With the obvious results.  
  
Like a deer caught in a bright light, Keitaro freezes, his mouth dropping open and blood spurting from his nose. Naru and Motoko drop down into the water and cover their breasts. The towels fall into the water and drift downwards out of sight.  
  
"Keitaro, what are you doing?"  
  
"Urashima, please give our towels back!"  
  
He answers in a weak voice.  
  
"I'm s-s-sorry. I c-can't move! Aaaaaaaaaahhh!"  
  
Standing at the door, Kitsune crosses herself.  
  
"Poor Keitaro-san. They'll kill him for sure this time."  
  
Naru moves next to Keitaro and grabs his left arm.  
  
"For some reason, I'm not really mad at you this time. It's actually kind of funny watching you suffer like this."  
  
"Na-na-na-na-narusegawa!"  
  
The left lens of his glasses shatters. He then feels someone grabbing his right arm.  
  
"Urashima, you realize that this is your fault and I am just using your arm to help cover my body."  
  
"Mo-mo-mo-mo-motoko-chan!"  
  
His other lens shatters.  
  
Kitsune's mouth drops open.  
  
"I don't believe this! But it looks like a lot of fun!"  
  
She runs and dives into the water, surfacing directly in front of Keitaro. Her shirt forms perfectly against her breasts as water runs down her body.  
  
"Can I join ya'll, or is this gonna be a private party?"  
  
"Ki-ki-ki-ki-kitsune-san!"  
  
In one quick motion, Kitsune pulls her shirt off and wraps her arms around his neck. Blood explodes from Keitaro's nostrils as his head snaps backwards.  
  
"Gack!"  
  
Haruka walks out the door.  
  
"Keitaro, can you help me move . . . . ."  
  
Her cigarette holder falls from her mouth. She slowly turns and heads back in the door.  
  
"I think I left the water running again."  
  
As teeth gently nibble his earlobes and a tongue licks his cheek, Keitaro's mind short circuits.  
  
Su leans back in from the window and looks at Shinobu.  
  
"I think we're gonna need to have a funeral today."  
  
"Why's that Su?"  
  
"Cause it looks like somebody's gonna lose something real soon!"  
  
"AAAUUUUU!"  
  
The End. 


End file.
